Olidammara
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence." Olidammara appears as a slender human male with olive skin, merry green eyes, chestnut hair, and a rakish beard, typically wearing high leather buskins, cloth pants, a leather vest, and an ornate ring. He carries a magical mask (the symbol of his faith) that allows him to take any form he pleases, often disguising himself to look like a tinker or peddler, a fop, a young mercenary, or a fat merchant – but rarely anyone who is old. Green and gold are his favorite colours, and he likes to use one or both of these tones even when disguised. He is always seen with his Kantele of the Oldest, a favored instrument that can conjure illusions as well as real matter, and shape the emotions of those who listen as though they were moist clay. As one of the oldest gods not associated with the creation of their own race, Olidammara has seemed content to distract, entertain, and gently torment both the other gods and their children. Easily one of the more eccentric divines, the Laughing Rogue is often involved in good-natured schemes involving fellow deities (less good-natured for the more evil ones) that can make life difficult for his faithful. His love for wine, women, and song are unmatched among his peers. Relationships Olidammara is able to hold positive relationships with most gods, only staying away and showing distaste for those who court wanton destruction, as their malevolence is jarring to him. He would have liked to befriend them as well, but contents himself with teasing them gently and in non-damaging ways, such as replacing a high cleric’s ceremonial bone staff with a rainstick, painting all of a temple’s undead guardians pink, or programming illusions to play rowdy tavern music in the middle of a somber ceremony.. He is on good terms with Garl Glittergold, Ehlonna, Ye'Cind, and Kord. Heironeous and Hextor may find him annoying at times, but they tolerate him because of his charm and humor. Olidammara doesn’t hold grudges, and therefore he is often used as a go-between for rival deities not on speaking terms, always fighting the temptation to fiddle with the message before he delivers it. In addition, he has sponsored the apotheosis of the demigods Rudd (who remains his favorite among the divines) and Kuroth. Olidammara's current herald is an enormous Grey Slaad named Gurz Grep, although he seldom takes that form. His planar allies include various Slaadi (particularly Grey/Death) and Janni. Religion and Clergy Olidammara is worshiped by rogues, bards, beggars, thieves, and all lovers of life; bards, clerics, and rogues of this church are happy to sit down over a drink and share stories or songs, parting with no hard feelings despite differing agendas. A few odd individuals count themselves lucky if they lose a finger on some caper, drawing a parallel between themselves and the god leaving a part of himself on an otherwise successful adventure. Dogma and Tenets Olidammara teaches his followers to avoid predictability and routine, to delight in wine, to learn music, to seek out happiness, joy, entertainment, and the company of others. They are taught to bend their efforts toward learning and appreciating music. Olidammara advises his faithful to appreciate both the jokes they play and the jokes played on them. He also teaches that misery, temperance, and solemnity are the greatest poisons to the soul. Cleric Selection and Training Olidammara's clerics, known as Fingers of Olidammara, often have a second occupation, such as vintners and entertainers in urban areas, or as minstrels, messengers, and jacks-of-all-trades in rural areas. They wear comfortable clothes, preferring browns, greens, and blacks. Some wear an actual mask as their holy symbol, while others merely wear a signet or amulet inscribed with a drawing of a mask. Temple Raiders of Olidammara are an elite cadre of thieves, their abilities supplemented by divine magic, who raid the temples of other faiths. Obviously, they don't advertise this. Becoming a cleric of Olidammara seems simple at first glance; the initial training seems an unending series of celebrations and escapades. Initiates are actually being carefully observed by their superiors, however, who look for a rare combination of joy, mischief, and whimsy. The nature of Olidammara’s clerics greatly depend on their alignments. Chaotic Good clerics use humor and their other skills to improve the lot in life of people who are down on their luck or who have been dealt a bad hand. Most of the “rob from the rich and give to the poor” type clerics are Chaotic Good. Such a cleric looks at a person and wonders, “what can I do to help them better appreciate what they have so they can get back to enjoying life?”. Of all of his clerics, these are the ones most likely to get involved when people are in trouble, but that doesn’t mean they’re not up for causing a little mayhem when circumstances warrant it. Olidammara’s Chaotic Neutral clerics don’t think of their actions in terms of reducing misery or improving lives. To them it’s a matter of whether or not the individual is too dull, unhappy, or mired in attachment to be worth talking to. If the person meets one of these criteria, she is a valid target for intervention, even if she seems to be content in that situation. Olidammara’s chaotic neutral clerics seem these kinds of people as personal affronts to their belief system, much as how many sun-clerics see necromancers and undead as the antithesis of their own existence. These clerics are also likely to play pranks on someone just because they can, trusting in the Laughing Rogue to make it all work out as a life lesson. They enjoy songs with a scandalous edge, sometimes couched in double meaning so they can be sung in polite company or in the presence of the very person they mock, but are more than happy to join in on a happy ballad or a dirty limerick. Olidammara’s rare Chaotic Evil clerics are the most likely to act in the name of spite, applying their talents to someone who, in their opinion, needs to be taken down a notch. Whether it’s an arrogant lawful cleric who awakens in a seedy bordello, a miserly merchant whose chest of gold splits open while crossing a rushing river, or a pompous noble whose clothes turn to rags at the height of a ball, these clerics excel at tricks that prove to be extremely embarrassing to the target. They think nothing is too sacred to mock in a performance, and more than once have sneaked into a wedding party to sing off-colour stories about the “virtues” of the groom and bride. Most of Olidammara’s clerics wander greatly for much of their lives, acting as minstrels, messengers, wandering clerics, or performing other duties that justify their traveling and allow them to put their magic and special interests to good use. On any given day, a traveling cleric of Olidammara might liberate a stolen wine shipment from goblin raiders, steal the treasury of a cruel mayor and use it to get everyone in town drunk, convince a loyal spouse to philander, trade songs with a bard, drive a teetotaler city official out of town, break a few laws just for the fun of it, taunt a paladin, or sing a beast to sleep. As a joke, sometimes his clerics work in the exact sort of jobs that other members of the faith are trying to avoid, swindle, or dodge (such as a caravan guard or working with a less-than-reputable group of mercenaries extracting “tolls” from passing merchants) – and almost invariably when they meet they laugh, step out for a drink, and leave their allies befuddled or enraged. Many of Olidammara’s faithful are “on the run” most of the time, evading the wrath of a city official here and a lawful church there, unafraid to enter lands where the state or primary religion is oppressive. Some clerics remain settled or pick a place to live as they get older, usually in a larger city. Most of these work at their temple, earn a living as a tavern minstrel, teach music, become vintners, and so one. Some of the more rogue-like urban clerics end up running the local thieves guild. Prayers, Rites, and Rituals Olidammara's religion lacks a single holy book, but instead maintains hundreds of mutually contradictory collections of parables and songs. Any attempt to codify or reconcile these texts is anathema to Olidammara's creed, which teaches that chaos should be embraced and material things have little importance or intrinsic value. Prayers to Olidammara are sung rather than spoken, and they almost always rhyme. Worshippers are expected to keep improvising new ones, so there are few established liturgies in the faith. Rituals to Olidammara include the simple Ceremony of the Cork, performed whenever a wine bottle is opened. A more elaborate ceremony is the New Moon Follies, a three-act comedy performed by and for Olidammara's worshippers. Most services feature alcohol, feasts, song, and laughter. The entire week of Brewfest is considered a holy time by Olidammara's faithful. Other holidays include: * The Great Escape. This is a reenactment of Olidammara's capture by and escape from the archmage Zagig, and is celebrated on a Godsday when the weather is pleasant. * The Feast of the Doubling Dare. This holiday includes a contest in which the participants challenge each other to perform ever-wilder pranks and deeds. The city it is hosted in moves from year to year, and is planned by a randomly selected number of the faithful. * Taste of a Hundred Years. This is an annual wine-tasting event where a cask is opened that was vinted exactly a century before. List of additional Divine Spells granted by Olidammara Temples Small shrines to Olidammara are more common than actual temples; these can be found anywhere, in pubs, in dens of thieves, and in the form of piles of stones at roadsides, carved with his symbol. Most faithful drop a small token of their esteem by the shrine: a few coins, a bit of tasty food, or a cup of wine. Many of Olidammara's temples are converted inns or taverns, while some are theaters or actual thieves' guilds. Larger temples are hidden, often within the city's sewer networks, because they double as hide-outs of thieves. Those who know of them can buy stolen or forbidden goods there. Olidammara's temples are often guarded by warrior/thieves who combine combat training with sneak attacks. Quests Missions that involve stealing from the rich and embarrassing the mighty are the headiest of wines for this faith, though Olidammara will rarely decree a mission to his followers, much preferring to see what they come up with on their own. Myths and Legends Andromalius and the Great Theft Olidammara and the Grand Talisman The Creation of Winesong / Love is a Gamble The Grand Illusion Zagig and the Carapace Artifacts and Creations As with most worldly possessions, relics in the hands of Olidammara’s faithful tend to pass around a great deal. Kantele of the Oldest Pipes of Amorous Revelry Rapier of Desperate Measures Rapier of Unerring Direction Goblet of Unbound Fate Mask of Imontilo Spying Eye of Olidammara Category:Deity Category:Chaotic Neutral